Detonating-fuse.



SEl

. N. POWER TUNATLNG Fu 0N FLLED rea.

Patented May l, 19N.

2 SHFETSWSHEETV l.

eliminan* l. N. POWERS.

` DETONATING FUSE.

mPLlc/mon FILED ma. I4. |915.

Patented May 1, 1917. 7

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HIIZII-llll i ellltozmi,

STATES PATENr ,oiiriioa .Tommie/POWERS, O11l WASHINGTON, ms'riizc'r Orco-Limia 1A, AssIGNOa 'ro UNITED .s'rAm onmurrciil OOHPANY, Or WASHINGTON, ms'rnc'r, OF COLUMBIA, A con- POBATIGI 0I VIRGINIA.

Be it known that I, JOHN Powniis, a citizen 'of the United States, residing at Washmgton, District of Columbia, have invented .certain new and useful. Improvements in Det- VoIiatin Fuses; and I do hereby declare the 4following to be a full, clear, and exact deconstruction o -detonating fuse which will' assure certainty of action, absolute safety in storing projectiles, absolute safety in han- 'iling projectiles, safety from deteriorationT and delayed action in penetration.

It is'my 'further purpose to simplify the.

construction and assembling of fuses of this f1 t by embod i'ng therein two structurally in ependentse f-contained'elements as fcllows: first, a guide tube and Abarrier mecha` nism; second, a. detonative com ound container housing and barrier mec anism, the latter beinguremovably mounted in the rear end .of the se stock so that it is unnecessary p to associate thedetonating charge with the fuse until it is desired to fire the projectile. [By such a construction I obtain absolute safety in haiidlingand storing. rojectiles 'and am enabled to leep the detonatig charge in an isolated store until required for the invention;

i the claims.

I will describe my linvention in the bes't form known to me at presentbut it will be apparent that it is susceptibleto changes in details, proportions and arrangement with the exercise of only ordinary mechanical skill without departing from the spirit of `In'fthe drawings chosen to illustrate my invention, the scope whereof is'set forth in.

. Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a detonating fuse constructed in accordancewith my invention, a fragment ofan associated projectile being shown;y Fig. 2, a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.; Fig. 3, a view of a fragment' of what is.

DirroNArme-rusii.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application ma february 14, 191e. serial 1ro. z 1,130. l

p To all'whomitimyconcem 1ratmmaiiuay 1, 1917.

Fig. 8, asectioii on the line S-Slof Fi .21;

Fig. .9, a perspective' view of on e o the barrier levers anl its associated barrier section, and

Fig. 10, a perspective view oflone of the centriugally rel( ased locking arms.

Referring to tie drawings my improved detonating lfuse is shown as comprising a tubular stockl 15 which carries the various` parts of the fuse and is threaded in the base of the rojectile, the latter being indicated at A. hreaded in the forwai'd end-of the stock 15 is a nose 16 which projects slightly beyond the adjacent end. of the stock -so as. to protrude into the bursting charge of the projectile. This nose 16 is provided'with a' reduced extensioi 17 on its rearfe'nd and f further provided with a longitudinalrecess 1 8 opening tli'rou gh the rear of the nose and enlarged as at 19 :o form, a shoulder 20. The forward Wall of the recess 18 is provided with a firing pinu or point21, the purpose of which will preseitly appear. Threaded 4in the recess 18 is a tube 22 which in conjunction with the nose 16 forms the fuseway or guide tube of the fuse. The r'ear end of the tube 22 is enlarged as at 23 and this enlarged portion isY provided with diametrically Opposite longitudinal grooves 24. The rear end of the enlarged portion 23 is provided With a transverse groove 25 the longitudinal axis of which intersects the longitudinal axes o# t 1e grooves 24. Pivoted in `each groove 24 is a` barrier lever 26 and pivoted to the free e1 d of each lever 26 is a `bar- ',rier' section 27 slidable inthe groove tube 22 and limits the movement of the slide in one direction by engagement Withhthe adjacent end of the enlarged portion A2 Formed in the slide 30 are diametrically opbarrier sections 27 posite slots 31 disposed in the plane of movement of the levers 26 and through which the levers are adapted to be moved when the' are operated to either opened or closed positions. Each of the slots 31 is traversed by a bridge 32 of triangular cross section and forming a cam face 33, adapted to cooperate with the adjacent cam. face 29 of the related lever 2G during moves ment of the slide 30 in one direction. The slide 30 is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by means ofa spring 34 which -seats against the shoulder 20 and against the adjacent end-of the slide. In the normal position of the slide the barrier sections 27 are held in closedposition and the interior of the tube 22 isolated from the other fuse parts to be hereinafter referred t"l`lie slide 30 is also provided with diametrically opposite longitudinafgrooves 35 and pivoted in the rear ends of these grooves respectively are thecorresponding endslof centrifugally released locking arms Each arm 36 carries a spring 37 which bears against the stock 15 and normally holds the free endof the related arm interposed between the nose 16 and the slide 30 so that the latter is locked against movement in the direction of the nose. The diameter of the slide 30and the rear end 17 of the nose 16 is somewhat less than,the diameter of the corresponding portion of the boro of the stock so that an air chamber 3S is formed. This chamber isl placed in communication with the forward end of the recess 18 by a plurality of passages 39 formed in the nose In order that the forward end of the nose 1G will be readily ruptured when the fuse is fired .l weaken same through the inediuln of a plurality of grooves 40.

It will be noted that the nose 16, tube l22 and barrier mechanism previously described constitute a self-contained element adapted to be assembled independent of the stock 15 and then applied within the latter as a whole. By such construction l greatly simplify the manufacture of a fuse of this type and introduce into it a factor greatly enhancing the safety in handling and storing projectiles equipped with such fuses:

My improved fuse further embodies a' detonative compound container housing 411 detachably threaded in the bore of the stock 15. This housing is provided with an axial.' recess 42 opening through its forward end and further provided with diametrically opposite longitudinal.: recesses 43 also opening through the forward end of the housing. ltransverse passage 44 is also provided in l position by a spring .isolate the vdetonative compound container 49 which is`mounted in said recess and secured to the housing by the usual shearing pin 50. The barrier section 47 has its outer edge provided with a recess 51 and secured to the section 47 at the base of this recess through the medium of a screw 52 is the ce-ntral portion of a. leaf spring 53 the ends of which seat on respective shoulders 46. The barrier section 47 is normally held in closed pressed bolt 54 mounted in one of the recesses 43 and having its forward end engaged over the outer edge of said section. It will be observed that when the, section .47 is held in closed position by soA the bolt 54 the spring is tensioned` so that A not be referred to in detail but the referencev describing the mechcharacters employed in anisin associated with-'the barrler section 47 will be applied to corresponding parts of the mechanism 'associated with the barrier section 48.

It will also be noted that the housing 41, dctonative compound container 42 and the barrier `mechanism carried by the housing constitute a self-contained element adapted to be assembled independently of the stock and subsequently applied thereto as a whole. Such a construction also introduces'anotheI factor of safety in the fuse in that the det# onating charge can be kept inan isolated store and only applied in the stock 15 when it is desired to fire the projectile.

The operation of the fuse will be obvious, llicnthe projectile' containing the fuse is fired the bolts 54 will set back and the springs 53 will operate to move the barrier sections 47 and 48 to open position. Centrifugal force due to the rotation of the projectile in flight will move the arms 36 to release position against the'influence of the springs 37. pon iinpact'of the projectile with the target or other object the slide 30 will move forward and cause the cam faces engage the firing point 21 to explode the container and thus fire the bursting charge of the projectile.

What is claimed im 1. In a detonating fuse for high explosive projectiles, the combination of a fuse stock, a guide tube element independent of and mounted in one end oi the stock, a housing ele-ment independent of and mounted in the other end of the stock, a detonative compound container in the housing element in line with the guide tube, a normally closed barrier constantly carried by one of said elements and interposedl between the container and guide tube, and automatically operated means for openin the barrier.

2. In a detonating fuse or high explosive projectiles, the combination of a fuse stock, a guide tube secured in one end of the stock, a detonative compound container disposed in the stock in line with the guide tube, a

barrier normally closing the end of the guide tube adjacent the container, and impact operated means for opening the barrier.

3. In a detonating Jfuse for high explosive projectiles, the combination of a fuse stock, a guide tube independent of and mounted in one end of the stock, a housing indej'iendent of and mounted in the other end of the Stock, a detonatire compound container in the housing in line with the guide tube, a normally closed barrier carried by the housingr and interposed between the container. and guide tube, and aufomatically operated means for openingr the barrier.

Ll. In a detonating fuse for high explosive projectiles, the combination of a` detonative compound container housing adapted' to be secured in the projectile, an automatically opened barrier carried by and normall7 closing the bruising, ai guide tube adapted to be seeuped in the projectile iruleperulently of and in advance of the housing, and an automatic b opened barrier carried by and normally el sing the `cuide tube.

l'n a detonating for high. explosive lnojeetiles, the,(fcm'lbiatioh of aafusestock, a guide tube mountedvin one end of the stock, a detonative compound container disposed in the stock in line with the guide rtube, a barrier noun-ally closing the end ot' the guide tube adj arent the container, impact operated m @aus for opening the barrier, and .entritugally released means normally locking the impact operated means inactive.

(l. In a; detrfmating fuse for high explosive projectiles, the combination of a fuse stock, a guide tube mounted in thcfuse stock, a detonative compound container disposed in the stock in line with the guide tube, a. nornially closed barrier interposed between the rcontainer and the advance end of the guide tube, and impe :t operated means for opening the barrier.

7. In a detonutn fuse for high explosive projectiles, the :om ination of a fuse stock, a guide tube see ured in one end of the stock,

a detonative cc mpound container disfsed i tive compound container 'disposed in the, i

stock in line with the tube, a barrier no1'- mally closing tte guide tube in advance of the container, and automatically operated means for open ng the barrier.

9. In a detona tin fuse for high explosive ln'ojectiles, the (om ination of a fuse stock, a guide tube mumted in the stock, barrier levers pivoted te said tube, barrier sections carried by the 1| :vers respectively, a sliding member on the tube normally coperating with the barrier levers to hold same in posi tion to dispose the' barrier sections closed and adapted whe n moved by impact -to operate the levers te a position to dispose the barrier sections open, and a detonatlve compound container mounted in the .stock-in line with the guide tube.

l0. ln a detor ating fuse for high explosive projectiles, 'he combination 4of" a stock,

,a guide tubeA independent of and mounted J in said stoel: and having a closed outer end,

an automatically opened barrier mechanism constantly carrie l by the tube and normally closing the innel end thereof, a. detonative vcompouml contai 1er housing independent of and mounted in whe stock with its container rham'lu'r in line `vith the guide tube, an au- .Jtoniatically open :d barrier mechanism constantly carried by the housing and normally closing the container chamber, and a detonat-ive compound container in the chamber of the housing.

.ln testimony whereof I alfix my signature, in the presence oi two subscribing witnesses. v JOHN N. POWERS. 'Vitnesses l PAUL A. IN'rnn,

FRANK W. CUMMINue. 

